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Madeline and the Old House in Paris
'''Madeline and the Old House in Paris '''is the most recent book in the Madeline series. It was written by John Bemelmans Marciano. Plot One fall afternoon the Girls are playing croquet in the backyard. Madeline and Pepito are climbing a tree. A fancy car pulls up to the house. It's Lord Cucuface who has come to do a surprise inspection of the school. He pompously hands a nervous Ms. Clavel his hat and goes inside. He thoroughly inspects the old house, angering Mrs. Murphy for messing with her kitchen. He insists on looking for pests within the house, although he misses the resident mouse. Pepito starts quietly mocking Cucuface, annoying Madeline as she doesn't want Ms. Clavel to get in trouble. Lord Cucuface then finds an unfamiliar door and inquires as to where it leads. Ms. Clavel is quite frightened, as it leads to the attic which she believes to be haunted. Cucuface dismisses her superstition and forges ahead, followed by the curious Madeline and Pepito. The attic is dark, hot and musty. It's full of lots of old junk and antiques, but no paranormal beings in sight. The other girls are still scared, Pepito is finding interesting gadgets, but Cucuface has found a pleasant surprise. Sitting in the middle of the attic is a very old and exquisite telescope. Vain and greedy, Cucuface claims the telescope and takes it home with him. Madeline is quite annoyed that Cucuface only came by to pressure the school and take items for his own benefit and Pepito departs for home. That evening the Girls break their bread, brush their teeth and go to bed. Later in the dead of night Madeline wakes up, sensing something is not right. The Girls hear something moaning outside the window. Suddenly a ghoul appears at the window! The Girls scream and dive under their beds in fear. But Madeline sees through the act immidiately. She opens the window and tears of the 'ghoul's' mask. It's only Pepito who bursts out laughing at his successful prank. The Girls are quite mad to have been pranked once again by the bad hat. However, the moaning does not stop. Everyone becomes scared as they realize it's coming from the attic. Brave Madeline lights a candle and leads the reluctant children. By now even Pepito is scared. They creep up to the attic and enter. To their shock and horror a REAL ghost appears and screams at them. But Madeline merely steps forward and says, "pooh pooh" to the ghost. The ghost becomes quite sad that he can't even scare children. He starts to cry. Madeline comforts him and asks him what's wrong. He tells the children his name was Felix de LaMorte. He was born sometime in the early 18th century and became very interested in science as a child. As a young man he became a very significant member of France's astronomical society and built the old house as an observatory. One night he excitedly prepared to view an incredible comet which passes the Earth once every 221 years. Just as the comet entered the sky, he leapt with joy, forgetting he was on the roof. He tragically fell to his death. For the past 221 years Felix has haunted the old house, anticipating the return of the comic so he may finally move on to the afterlife. However, since Lord Cucuface has appropriated his telescope, he fears that he will miss the comet and be doomed to haunt the house for another quarter millennia. Madeline takes pity on Felix and conducts a plan to recover the telescope. The next night, the night of the comet, the Girls put their plan into action. After Ms. Clavel has put them to bed, Madeline signals Pepito who is hiding in the trees to enter the house. The Girls dress Madeline and Pepito in the antiquated clothes found in the attic, making them look a lot like the ghostly Felix. The two then leave the house (which Felix cannot do) and ride their bikes to a waiting rowboat in the Seine River. The two row to a chateau that is owned by Lord Cucuface who is sleeping inside. The two sneak into Cucuface's room, stack on top of each other to look like an adult ghost, turn on the light and wake him vigorously. Cucuface is terrified to see what appears to be a ghost in his room. The 'ghost' informs him of his crime and demands he return the telescope. Cucuface meekly points out the telescope and begs for the ghost's forgiveness. The ghost takes the telescope and departs. Madeline and Pepito lug the telescope back to the boat and set out for the old house. As they row down the Seine, they see the early stages of the comet. At the house Felix is in the attic, dreading that the children won't return in time. Madeline and Pepito arrive with the telescope, bringing great joy to Felix. The trio go up to the roof (taking caution this time) and observe the comet as it crosses over the sleeping Paris. Amusing Details * This is Pepito's first appearance in the book series since Madeline in London. * This marks Lord Cucuface's second appearance since Madeline's Rescue. * Lord Cucuface is revealed to sleep with a teddy bear. * The age of the old house is revealed to be just over 221 years. Category:Books